Machines for wrapping block-like articles

ABSTRACT

In machines for wrapping rectangular block-like articles such as cigarette packets, the articles are enveloped in wrapping material in a first part of the machine and the wrapping material is heat sealed in a second part of the machine. Each part is provided with drive means so that when the first part is inoperative (during changing of a reel of wrapping material) the second part remains operative and damage to the articles due to overheating, while stationary in the second part, is avoided. The parts may be driven by separate motors, or a single motor employing a clutch. Alternatively, an auxiliary motor may drive the second part when a main motor driving both parts is inoperative. The speed at which the second part is driven may be related to the temperature at which the wrapping material is heat sealed.

United States Patent n 1 3,693,3 l 6 Schmermund [451 Sept. 26, 1972 [s41 MACHINES FOR WRAPPING BLOCK- 2,553,719 5/1951 Palmer, Jr. 198/37 LIKE ARTICLES 3,431,398 3/1969 Wahle ..53/379 x [72] Inventor: Alfred Schmermund, 62, Kornerstrasse, D-5820 Gevelsberg, Germany [22] Filed: May 1, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 33,743

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 8, 1969 Great Britain ..23,485/69 [51] Int. Cl ..B65b 53/00, B65b 65/00 [58] Field of Search ..53/37S, 379, 388, 210, 230,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,162,106 6/1939 Ness ..53/77 3,008,280 11/1961 Barkman ..53/379 3,164,938 1/1965 Waite ..2l9/388 X 1,975,394 10/1934 Hartman ..146/153 3,400,651 9/1968 Hatch ..2l9/388 X Part 1.7

Free

Running Device Auxiliary Motor Clutch Primary Examiner-Theron E. Condon Assistant Examiner-Neil Abrams ArrorneyNolte and Nolte ABSTRACT In machines for wrapping rectangular block-like articles such as cigarette packets, the articles are enveloped in wrapping material in a first part of the machine and the wrapping material is heat sealed in a second part of the machine. Each part is provided with drive means so that when the first part is inoperative (during changing of a reel of wrapping material) the second part remains operative and damage to the articles due to overheating, while stationary in the second part, is avoided. The parts may be driven by separate motors, or a single motor employing a clutch. Alternatively, an auxiliary motor may drive the second part when a main motor driving both parts is inoperative. The speed at which the second part is driven may be related to the temperature at which the wrapping material is heat sealed.

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sum u I]? 6 wm/rm ammdbwmm/mo PATENTED SEPZ 6 m2 SHU S or 5 MACHINES FOR WRAPPING BLOCK-LIKE ARTICLES BACKGRQUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to machines for wrapping rectangular block-like articles, for example cigarette blocks or block-like assemblies of cigarettes. Such machines are known and comprise each a first part in which the article is enclosed in wrapping material and a second part in which the wrapping material enclosing the article is sealed, usually under heat and pressure. To facilitate such sealing, the wrapping material may be of thermoplastic material or coated with a material which becomes tacky under heat. The second part may comprise a vertically arranged channel having heating elements in side walls thereof, a platform being provided for receiving enclosed articles from the first part of the machine, the platform pushing the articles, one by one, upwards through the channels, at the top of which the articles, after the wrapping material has been sealed, are removed. Such a machine has been disclosed in the complete specification of my U. 8. Pat. No. 3,402,528.

In this and similar known machines, the movable members of both parts of the machine are operated by the same drive. This necessitates that the operation of the second part stops when the operation of the first part stops, for example when a supply bobbin for the wrapping material is exhausted and has to be replaced by a bobbin comprising fresh wrapping material. When the operation of the second part stops, articles within the channel remain stationary; this may cause burning of the wrapping material of articles which are being heated by the heating elements unless additional means are provided for rendering the heating elements inoperative, for example by removing the heated walls from the articles in the channel when a stoppage occurs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a machine for wrapping rectangular blocklike articles comprising a first part including enveloping means for enclosing an article in wrapping material, and a second part including heating means for sealing the wrapping material enclosing the article, means for passing enclosed articles from the first to the second part, first drive means being provided for operating the first part of the machine, and a second drive means being provided for operating the second part of the machine independently of the operation of the first part. Thereby it may be achieved that articles in the second part continue to move through the second part even if a stoppage occurs in the first part, so that when a stoppage occurs in the first part, the danger of burning the wrapping material of articles in the second part is avoided or at least reduced.

Preferably, the first drive means comprises a first motor and the second drive means comprises a second motor operable independently of the first motor.

Alternatively, the second drive means comprises a motor and the first drive means comprises an output shaft of a clutch, an input shaft of said clutch being coupled to said motor.

Still alternatively, the first drive means comprises a main motor for driving the first part of the machine and for driving the second part through a clutch between the first part and the second part, the second drive means comprising an auxiliary motor for driving only the second part, the auxiliary motor having a lower speed than the main motor, the arrangement being such that normally the main motor operates both parts and, on the operation of the main motor being interrupted, the auxiliary motor drives the second part, the clutch between said first and second parts being decoupled. Thus, if the first part stops, then the auxiliary motor drives the second part; if, however, the first part operates, then the main motor operating the first part also operates the second part through the clutch.

Preferably, a free running device is arranged between the auxiliary motor and the second part of the machine, the arrangement being such that the auxiliary motor normally does not drive the second part, the free running device interrupting the operative connection between the auxiliary motor and the second part of the machine, until the main motor and therewith the first part stops, when the auxiliary motor becomes operative and drives the second part.

Preferably, the channel of the second part of known machines is omitted and replaced by conveyor means, for example a conveyor belt, the heating elements being provided adjacent the conveyor belt.

When two motors, one for the first part and one for the second part, are provided both parts usually do not operate in synchronism. This, however, is admissable, since the only requirement is that any article reaching the second part normally passes through the second part without being stopped, even if the operation of the first part is interrupted.

Experience has shown that the operation of the first part of this kind of machines has to be interrupted comparatively often either owing to a change of reels for the wrapping material or owing to fault disturbances, whereas an interruption in the operation of the second part occurs only exceptionally.

Preferably, the second part of the machine comprises conveyor means for conveying the enclosed articles past the heating means.

Preferably, the conveyor means comprises a conveyor belt.

Advantageously, the heating means comprise endless belts which co-operate with heating elements and which are arranged to contact the wrapping material enveloping the articles whilst travelling in the same direction as said articles.

Such an arrangement has the advantage that overheating of the wrapping material to be sealed is easily avoided, since heat generated by the heating means does not steadily increase as parts of the endless belts are cooled during their return movement.

When the speed of the motor operating the second part is adjustable, the speed need only be adjusted in such a manner that the articles travel through the second part at a distance of one article from the next, which equals or is greater than a predetermined minimum distance; increase of the motor speed then merely increases the distance between successive articles. Since normally articles do not come to rest within the second part of the machine, the heating temperature may vary to some extent without affecting the sealing. Therefore, a comparatively simple thermostatic temperature control may be provided. The effect of the heating means may additionally be controlled by controlling the travelling speed of the articles through the second part. If the temperature should become too high, this can be counteracted by increasing the travelling speed.

Preferably, the motors are electric motors and the heating means are electric heating means.

Advantageously, the motor for the second part is a direct current motor.

For example, an easily controllable direct current servomotor may be provided which is energized from an alternating current supply source after the alternating current has been rectified. In this case, a controlling transformer may be provided and the rectifier may be a thyratron. The speed of rotation of the servo-motor may be easily controllable and it is easy, if desired, to provide an automatic speed control for the motor through the heat-sensitive device, so that when the heating effect of the heating means increases, the speed of the motor increases correspondingly.

If only a single motor is provided, the clutch between the motor and the first part of the machine may be an electro-magnetic clutch which advantageously is constructed in known manner as a dog-clutch. With such an arrangement, synchronism exists between the operation of the first part and that of the second part of the machine, when the first part is in operation. This may be advantageous, if block-like articles are to be grouped, for example to form groups of five or ten articles. If in the second part, the articles are moved by conveyor belts, slipping of the articles relatively to the belts is possible but slipping of successive articles does not add up since each article is moved independently of any adjacent articles. Furthermore, the synchronism between both parts is also advantageous when sub sequent machines for handling the wrapped articles are provided.

The present invention also embraces means for turning a moving block-like article while its wrapping is heatsealed so that different portions of the wrapping reach the heating means, without the necessity of changing the direction of movement of the block-like article.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To make the invention clearly understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which are given by way of example and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a first embodimerit;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a second embodiment,

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a third embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the first embodiment in greater detail;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the first embodiment;

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a detail of the first embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the second embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the second embodiment;

FIG. 10 illustrates a detail of the second embodiment;

FIG. 1 I is a side view of the third embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the third embodiment; and

FIG. 13 illustrates a preferred clutch of the second and third embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS In the first embodiment of FIG. 1, articles are wrapped in heat-scalable wrapping material in part I of the machine. Part I is operated by a motor I. The wrapped articles are transferred from part I to part II as indicated by the arrow. Part II, in which the wrapping material is sealed, is operated by a motor II which is independent of the motor I so that when the motor I stops, motor II and thereby part II continues to run.

In the second embodiment of FIG. 2, articles are wrapped in heat-scalable wrapping material in part I of the machine. Part I is operated by a single motor through a clutch. The wrapped articles are transferred from part I to part II as indicated by the arrow. Part II of the second embodiment, in which the wrapping material is sealed, is directly operated by the single motor. To stop part I, the clutch is de-coupled so that the motor continues to operate for part II without operating part I.

In the third embodiment of FIG. 3, articles are wrapped in heat-scalable wrapping material in part I of the machine. Part I is directly operated by a main motor. The wrapped articles are transferred from part I to part II as indicated by the arrow. Part II of the third embodiment, in which the wrapping material is sealed, is normally operated by the main motor through a clutch. When the main motor stops the clutch is de-coupled, and part II is operated by an auxiliary motor through a free running device without operating part I. The speed of the auxiliary motor is lower than that of the main motor. So long as the main motor operates part II through the clutch, the free running device prevents the slower auxiliary motor from operating part II. When, however, the main motor stops, the slower motor becomes operative.

The first embodiment shown in greater detail in FIGS. 4 to 7 comprises the part I (at the left hand side of FIGS. 4 and 5) and the part II (at the right hand side of FIGS. 4 and 5). Block-like articles I are pushed by a pusher 5 against lengths of heat-sealable wrapping material 2 and wrapped therein in known manner. The wrapping material 2 is drawn from a reel 4. Wrapped articles 3 are conveyed from part I to part II by known conveying means. Heating means 6 comprise heated endless belts 7 co-operating with heating elements, which seal the wrapping material 2 enveloping the wrapped articles 3 at two opposite sides thereof. After the wrapping material has been sealed on the two opposite sides, the articles 3 are turned through so that subsequently one or both of the remaining sides of the articles can be sealed without changing the general direction of travel of the articles. Such turning is effected by turning means comprising a roller 8 around which an endless travelling belt 11 passes. An end of each of the wrapped articles 3 abuts against the belt 11 where the belt 11 passes around the roller 8 while the opposite end of the article 3 continues to move forward along an arcuate member 12 until a 90 turning has been affected, whereupon the article is conveyed further by the endless heating belt 7. The turning means are believed to be novel per se. The wrapped and sealed articles 300 on further movement drop down and are turned as indicated by arrow 13 and removed by further known conveyor belts in the direction of arrow 14.

The moving members of part I are operated through suitable gears by a first electric motor 15, and those of part II are operated by a second electric motor 16 which is independent from the first motor 15. Thereby, it is achieved that the articles continue to travel through part II when the first motor stops and therewith the operation of part I is interrupted. Owing to the continued travelling of the articles through part II, overheating of the wrapping material may be avoided.

The dropping and turning of the sealed articles is assisted by rotatable brushes 17 (see also FlGS. 6 and 7).

The second embodiment shown in greater detail in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 is generally similar to the firs embodiment of FIGS. 4 to 7 and therefore need not be described again. However, the second embodiment has only a single electric motor 115, which through an electro-magnetic clutch 118 operates part I via a control shaft 121, a gear arrangement 122 and a known trans mission arrangement 123. The motor 115 directly operates part II via gears 124, a shaft 125, further gears 126 and a further shaft 127. Instead of providing brushes for turning and dropping sealed articles, a rotatable member 128 and a mechanism for rotating are provided.

The third embodiment shown in greater detail in FIGS. 11, 12 and 13 is generally similar to the second embodiment of FIGS. 8, 9 and 10. However, the third embodiment has a main electric motor 215 which directly operates part I via a suitable gear arrangement 222 and also operates part [I through an electro-magnetic clutch 218. An auxiliary electric motor 231 operates part 11 through a free running device 232. The speed of the auxiliary motor 231 is lower than that of the main motor 215 so that the free running device 232 renders the auxiliary motor 231 ineffective while the main motor 215 is running, but renders the auxiliary motor 231 effective in driving part [I through shaft 227 when the main motor 215 stops and is disconnected from the shaft 227 by the clutch 218 being de-coupled.

The electro-magnetic clutches 118 and 218 are preferably dog clutches, as indicated in FIG. 13.

The embodiments hereinbefore described may be modified as follows:-

In the embodiments in which the heating means 6 comprise endless belts 7 co-operating with heating elements, the endless belts may be cooled by means (not shown) during their return movement.

In the first embodiment, shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 the speed of the motor 11 may be adjustable. In this case, the speed of the motor II need only be adjusted in such a manner that the articles 3 travel through the second part at a distance between successive articles which equals or is greater than a predetermined minimum distance; increase of the motor speed then merely increases the distance between successive articles. Since normally articles do not come to rest within the second part of the machine, the heating temperature may vary to some extent without affecting the sealing. Therefore, a comparatively simple themestatic temperature control may be provided. The effect of the heating means may additionally be con rolled by means for contro lmg the travelling speed 0 the articles through the second part. If the temperature should become too high, this can be counteracted by increasing the travelling speed.

The motors may be electric motors and preferably, the heating means are electric heating means.

In a modification of the first embodiment, the second motor is a direct current servo-motor which is energized from a supply of rectified alternating current. In this case, a controlling transformer may be provided and the rectifier may be a thyratron. The speed of rotation of the servo-motor is easily controllable and it is easy, if desired, to provide an automatic speed control for the motor through a temperature-sensitive device, so that when the heating effect of the heating means increases, the speed of the motor increases correspondingly.

I claim:

1. A machine for wrapping rectangular block-like articles, comprising in combination:

a first part of said machine;

means provided in said first part for enclosing an article in wrapping material;

means provided in said first part for transporting articles through said enclosing means;

a second part of said machine;

means for passing articles enclosed in said wrapping material from said first part to said second part;

heating means provided in said second part for heatsealing the wrapping material enclosing said articles;

means provided in said second part for transporting enclosed articles past said heating means;

first drive means for driving said transporting means in said first part;

second drive means for driving said transporting means in said second part independently of the operation of said transporting means in said first P a main motor providing, when operative, said first drive means;

an auxiliary motor operable at a lower speed than said main motor;

a clutch selectively coupling said main motor and said transporting means in said second part;

an input shaft of said clutch being coupled to said main motor;

an output shaft of said clutch being coupled to said transporting means in said second part;

control means rendering said clutch operative only when said main motor is operative;

a free running device coupling said auxiliary motor to said transporting means in said second part, whereby said auxiliary motor and said free running device provide said second drive means when said main motor is inoperative. 

1. A machine for wrapping rectangular block-like articles, comprising in combination: a first part of said machine; means provided in said first part for enclosing an article in wrapping material; means provided in said first part for transporting articles through said enclosing means; a second part of said machine; means for passing articles enclosed in said wrapping material from said first part to said second part; heating means provided in said second part for heat-sealing the wrapping material enclosing said articles; means provided in said second part for transporting enclosed articles past said heating means; first drive means for driving said transporting means in said first part; second drive means for driving said transporting means in said second part independently of the operation of said transporting means in said first part; a main motor providing, when operative, said first drive means; an auxiliary motor operable at a lower speed than said main motor; a clutch selectively coupling said main motor and said transporting means in said second part; an input shaft of said clutch being coupled to said main motor; an output shaft of said clutch being coupled to said transporting means in said second part; control means rendering said clutch operative only when said main motor is operative; a free running device coupling said auxiliary moTor to said transporting means in said second part, whereby said auxiliary motor and said free running device provide said second drive means when said main motor is inoperative. 